


You drew stars (around my scars)

by capt_scarwidow



Category: Runaways (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:49:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26764600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/capt_scarwidow/pseuds/capt_scarwidow
Summary: Chase is having a hard time, but he can always rely on Gert (even if he was a jerk to her)Yeah I know the summary sucks. Sorry about that. Just read it anyway.
Relationships: Chase Stein/Gertrude Yorkes
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17





	You drew stars (around my scars)

**Author's Note:**

> So I wrote this in like July/August and I was inspired by getting my AP score and thinking that a 4 was a bad score. Low-self esteem is super fun :l But anways, I love these two so...yeah
> 
> Also, slight TW: mentions of abuse

As soon as Chase dialed her phone number, he knew it was a mistake. There was no way Gert would want to talk to him, not after everything he did. He was about to hang up when she answered.

“Hello? What do you want Chase? I assumed you just deleted my number after you stopped talking to me.” 

The absolute disdain in her voice was almost enough for him to hang up the phone right then. “I’m sorry, this was a mistake. Just forget I called.” Chase hoped she would leave it at that, but that wasn’t the case.

“Chase, are you okay? You sound like you’ve been crying.”

“It’s nothing, just some stuff with my dad. I shouldn’t have called you, I’m going to hang up now.”

“No Chase, don’t hang up. Where are you right now?”

“I’m at the park by your house.”

“Don’t leave, okay? I’ll be over in a minute.”

Chase heard the call end and he put his phone back in his pocket. He didn’t know how to feel about Gert coming over. On the one hand he was absolutely terrified. Only an absolutely selfless person would come comfort someone who had been nothing but rude to them for years. He was so scared he would hurt her again and then she would never want to talk to him again. On the other hand, he knew the reason he called her was because he wanted the comfort that came with her. 

She pulled up a few minutes after the call, just like she said she would. Chase had never been so happy to see another person as he was right then. The walk from her car to the swings he was sitting on felt like it took hours instead of seconds. When Gert finally made it over to him, she sat on the swing next to him and started gently rocking back and forth.

“Chase, are you okay? You really scared me.” The sentence hit him with another wave of guilt. He knew her anxiety was bad, but he had been too wrapped in his own problems to think about that. 

“I’m sorry Gert. It really wasn’t a big deal, you didn’t have to come.” He hoped she didn’t know he was lying. He didn’t want to cause her anymore stress.

“I know you’re lying, because even in the dark I can see that your eyes are red from crying. I also assumed that you wouldn’t be calling me unless something really bad had happened.”

Chase debated apologizing for hurting her and being an absolute jerk, but he decided to take the cowardly way out and tell her what happened instead. “You know how we got AP scores back today? I got a 4 on my engineering test.”

“Chase that’s really good.”

“Not to my dad. He started yelling about how I’ll never be good enough and I’m an absolute disgrace to the Stein name. And then...he hit me. It was the first time he’s done that in a while and I just wasn’t expecting it. I felt like a kid again. Scared and helpless. Luckily he had to answer a work call, so I took off. I was only here for a little bit before calling you.”

Gert had a horrified expression on her face. “He hit you?! You should report him to someone!”

“What are they going to do? He’s a rich influential white man. He can get away with anything. Besides, I only have to live at home for the rest of this year. After that I’m free to go wherever I want.”

Gert looked like she wasn’t sure what to say. “I agree that he probably wouldn’t get anything more than a slap on the wrist even if you did report him, and I don’t agree with you just living with an abusive dad until you’re done with high school, but I think you should decide what’s best for you. If it gets any worse you have to tell me though, okay? Even though you’re a major jerk I still care about you.” She laughed, but they both knew she wasn’t lying. He’d been a major jerk to all of their friends, but especially to her.

They stayed there swinging in silence, both lost in their own thoughts. Chase knew he had to apologize now or he might never, but he didn’t know what to say. He decided that a terrible apology was better than no apology, and before he knew it the words were just spilling out of his mouth.

“Gert, I’m so sorry for being such a terrible person these last few years. Amy’s death could have helped us all grow closer, but we fell apart instead, and I can’t ignore that it was mostly my fault. I pushed everyone away, but especially you. I was going through family stuff, but that’s no excuse for me ignoring you and letting people be rude to you. You are incredibly smart and forgiving and kind, and I’m so sorry that I hurt you. I know that you probably just came to help me tonight because that’s the kind of person that you are, and I love that about you. I don’t expect you to forgive me, and I know that one dumb rambly apology doesn’t make up for all of the things I did to you, so I just want you to know that I’m sorry. Honestly and truly.” During his speech they had both turned their swings so they were now facing each other. Chase was almost scared to look into her eyes, to see what she might be thinking. It was just a few seconds until she responded, but it felt like eternity.

“Chase, that apology was nowhere near as bad as you think it was. Yeah, one apology doesn’t make up for all the things that happened, but effort does. So I’m willing to try being friends again if you are.”

It was better than he could have ever dreamed of. He finally had Gert back, and the night felt a million times better than it had earlier.

“Can I hug you?”

“Yes.”

They both stood, and he wrapped his arms around her. This just felt right. He closed his eyes and tried to savor the moment. 

“I missed you Gert.” He whispered it into her hair, barely loud enough for her to hear. It was a simple sentence, but it held the weight of a thousand apologies, of all the words not spoken.

“I missed you too Chase.” Her response was the promise of tomorrow, and that was what made him want to spend the rest of his life in this moment, holding her in his arms under the stars.


End file.
